Gift of Alan Bostrom
Restored by Edward Swenson
Brahms praised the pianos of J. B. Streicher and used them almost exclusively in his Viennese recitals between the mid 1860s and 70s. In 1872, the Streicher firm loaned him one of their 1868 instruments for use in his apartment, which stayed with him until his death. The piano was mostly destroyed in the aftermath of World War II, with only the lyre, fallboard, and parts of the music stand remaining. Despite speculations that it had a Viennese action, we are ultimately uncertain since the Streicher firm produced several different actions at the time. This particular piano, however, features a Viennese action.
